Accused drug smuggler escapes death penalty

Prosecutors in Indonesia have requested a 16-year prison sentence for a Greek Australian man accused of smuggling almost $400,000 worth of methamphetamine into Bali.

Michael Sacatides, 43, was arrested at Bali's international airport on October 1 last year when customs officers allegedly found 1.7 kg of methamphetamine, the drug known as ice, concealed in his luggage after he arrived on a flight from Thailand.

The kickboxing trainer from Sydney's west had been facing the prospect of a possible death sentence, but prosecutors in the Denpasar District Court, on Tuesday, requested a sentence of 16 years. The defence will be given an opportunity to respond to the prosecution's request before the judges deliver their decision. Under the Indonesian court system, prosecutors make their sentence request before the defendant is found guilty, or acquitted.

According to reports in the Sydney Morning Herald, there was clear deliberation in Jakarta before the request was made. Tuesday's hearing was delayed twice as government lawyers pondered the decision.

Todung Mulya Lubis, a campaigner against the death penalty and lawyer for Bali Nine members Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran - who are both currently on death row - said this was an encouraging sign. "It means that the government may think that the death penalty is not the solution… that it won't deter people from drug trafficking," he said.

Mr Sacatides, who was described as "expressionless" during proceedings on Tuesday, has always maintained his innocence, claiming he had no idea the drugs were in the suitcase he was carrying when he arrived in Bali. At the time of his arrest he told investigators he had borrowed the luggage from an Indian associate, Akaleshi Tripathi, whom he knew from Bangkok, where he had been living and working for almost two years.

Tripathi, alias Peter, has never been located by police. Methamphetamine, which is also known as ice or shabu shabu, is considered a category one drug in Indonesia and the death penalty can apply for the importation of as little as five grams. The prosecutor, Gusti Putu Atmaja, said the government had taken into account Mr Sacatides' lack of criminal record when making the request.

The trial resumes on April 19, with a verdict expected within a fortnight.